IB came over this weekend to help put together sheets of Haruki paper to cover our dining room windows. He actually knew how to handle this project from his experience working with Kyoko Ibe, a world-renowned paper artist.

Haruki paper is known as unryu-shi, which translates as cloud dragon paper. Floating across the surface of the paper are long kozo fibers. A very stunning washi. From a long roll we cut three pieces exactly the same size. Then we attached the three sheets to an oak half round. We double-stick taped and glued the other half round on top. We repeated at the bottom of the paper. The whole process took about 5 hours. By the time we finished the sun had gone down. The cloud dragons were only visible as a nuanced texture in front of the windows.

But this morning the vision was absolutely awesome. The windows were literally glowing. Cloud dragons swirling in the filtered light. It was a gray and rainy day so I can’t even imagine what kinds of glowings clear weather will bring.

Light has magical and miraculous qualities. Now the light in the center of our home has become quite extraordinary with cloud dragons cavorting, consorting, dancing. Before we only had light. Now we glow.